Katarzyna Gawlowa (Polish/Poland, 1896-1982)
Cats, 1975-1985
Oil on board
Dimensions: 21 1/2 x 24 3/8 inches
(dimensions includes artist decorated frame)

Lot essay: Katarzyna Gawlowa (Zielonki/1896-2002) is a well known self-taught artist from Poland. Gawlowa's art depicts expressive representations of saints, angels, and other spiritual figures. Gawlowa is also a magical interpreter of folklore, where butterflies, flowers and animals are active participants in her work. A farmer and caretaker of the familyês milk cows, Gawlowa started painting on board in 1973, engaging with religious and mythological scenes including the Black Madonna. She was always fascinated with birds and flowers, often depicting the whimsy of how they interacted. Gowlowa often starts painting in color blocks, particularly wide flat spaces, then fills in her scenes. Her first public exhibition was in 1977 at the Krakow Ethnographic Museum. In 1979, When she was 83, she had a major retrospective at the Clemens Sels Museum, Neuss, Germany. She would often hang and exhibit her paintings salon style, filling complete walls with her work.